


Big Brother

by SaltMiner



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bullying, Gen, Internet Friends, M/M, tsukkiyamafest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 13:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3292634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltMiner/pseuds/SaltMiner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kei frowns at the computer, mentally cursing his older brother. The tenth message of the last 10 minutes arrives with a flash and an annoying ding followed quickly by the eleventh.</p>
<p>Yam1110 : I know it isn't our scheduled time, but I really need to talk.</p>
<p>Yam1110 : I don't know what to do.</p>
<p>Kei doesn't like whoever this is, depending on his brother. Before he thinks to stop himself, he is typing back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Brother

**Author's Note:**

> I am so behind on this tsukkiyamafest buisness. Maybe one day I will be on time...

Kei frowns at the computer, mentally cursing his older brother. The tenth message of the last 10 minutes arrives with a flash and an annoying ding followed quickly by the eleventh.

 

_Yam1110: I know it isn't our scheduled time, but I really need to talk._

_Yam1110: I don't know what to do._

 

Kei doesn't like whoever this is, depending on his brother. Before he thinks to stop himself, he is typing back.

 

_Tsu0308: What do you want?_

_Tsu0308:_ Niisan _isn't here. You're bugging me._

_ Yam1110: Oh. _

 

The reply sits there for a good 4 minutes and Kei thinks he has gotten rid of the nuisance and works on booting up the game he had been trying to play.

 

Then the instant messages sings again, announcing a paragraph of text.

 

_Yam1110: Oh my gosh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize he used his family computer. I didn't mean to be a bother. I just really needed to talk to him. But that's okay. I'll be okay. I didn't know he had a brother. How old are you?  I am almost 10 now._

 

Kei sighs. Doing anything on the computer is going to be impossible with whoever this is blabbering at him. He resigns himself to his fate and types back.

 

_Tsu0308: I'm eleven._

_Yam1110: Oh, cool. Are you in 6th grade?_

_ Tsu0308:  No, 5th. _

_ Yam1110: Your birthday must be really close to mine then! _

 

Kei huffs. "Not really," he thinks bitterly. He had been eleven for a whole month. Ten-year-olds were so immature.

 

_Tsu0308:  What did you need anyway?_

 

Nothing happens for a while. He should celebrate. He did want whoever this is to leave him alone, but Kei finds himself more than a little curious about this kid chatting with his brother.

 

_Tsu0308:  You gonna answer me?_

 

It's rude, but he is impatient without visual cues that help normal talking.

 

_Yam1110: Yeah._

_ Yam1110: Sorry. _

 

No new messages for another minute and Kei thinks that there is no way that his brother's relationship with this kid is this complex.

 

_Yam1110: Your brother is my Big Brother._

_Tsu0308:  What?_ No _he's not._

_ Yam1110: No. Sorry. It's not like he is really my brother. He just pretends for a little while each week. Gives me advice and stuff. _

_Tsu0308: Why would he do that?_

 

Kei doesn't really mean to type that. He doesn't know how to play that off as a joke like he might with Akiteru so he just lets it sit there without trying to take it back.

 

_Yam1110: I don't know._

_Yam1110: He probably thinks I am pitiful._

 

It takes him by surprise that whoever this was, who seemed to so boldly ask for his brother’s attention, had no confidence in Akiteru.

 

_Tsu0308:  How do you even get a Big Brother?  Did yours die or something?_

_ Yam1110: Some kids did.   _

_ Yam1110: I get one because some guys pick on me at school. _

_ Yam1110: I said it wasn't a big deal. But.. _

_ Yam1110: My parents signed me up when I came home with a black eye. _

_ Yam1110: Sorry. You don't have to listen to me. _

_ Tsu0308:  It's fine. _

 

_ Yam1110 has signed off. _

 

Kei glares at the notification. It was what he wanted, but he is angry.

 

_Tsu0308:  You don't just get to log off after telling me something like that._

_ Tsu0308:  What is wrong with you? _

_ Tsu0308:  I don't care. _

 

His fingers seem to type on his own. He doesn't feel like these are his words but can't help but firmly agree with every statement.

 

_Tsu0308:  What the hell is someone hitting you for?_

_ Tsu0308:  My brother wouldn't think you are lame. _

_ Tsu0308:  Those guys that pick on you, they're the pathetic ones. _

_ Tsu0308:  Kick their shins in next time they try to mess with you. _

_ Tsu0308:  And tell them they are ugly little shits. _

_Tsu0308:  I don't know why_ Niisan _hasn't beat them up for you yet._

_ Tsu0308:  I am going to yell at him. _

 

He pulls his fingers away from the keyboard, noticing that his breathing is heavier than before.

 

_Yam1110 has signed on._

 

He perks up, stares attentively at the text box. As he waits, he feels his cheeks heat up at his own over excited words. Maybe he is out of line. He is not this kid's mentor. He is not old and smart like his brother. He should not pretend-

 

_Yam1110:  You shouldn’t do that.  But..._

_ Yam1110:  Thank you.  You're  really cool. _

 

He looks everywhere but the screen for a moment, as if this kid could see his blush intensify through the computer.

 

_Tsu0308:  Shut up._

_ Yam1110:  Do you have a name, mentor's little brother? _

He thinks about it for a minute.  He doesn’t really know this kid.  Akiteru could be playing a trick on him.  It doesn’t seem like it, though, and he suddenly feels nervous about being so familiar with Akiteru’s Little Brother.

 

_Tsu0308:  No._

 

A moment passes and he feels bad, but he is a rude kid.  Whoever this kid needs a real friend.

 

_Yam1110:  Right. Me either._

 

They both stop talking after that, but Kei can almost hear sadness peeling off the screen.  The stranger logs off a few minutes later, but he stays online, just in case.

 

\---

 

He is passing by the playground and sees them. Three kids gathered around another who has his back to the jungle gym and tears rolling down his face. He thinks of that boy on his brother's IM and how he would normally just keep walking.

 

"What are you looking at!" one boy yells at him.

 

He could ignore them. He normally would.

  
He doesn't.


End file.
